TRAVEL...IS IT WORTH IT…
If you have chosen to travel and maybe those savings are being dipped into to make it possible, you really want to do your absolute best to make sure that it’s worth it. That as much of it as possible is filled with excitement, adventure and memorable moments. You want to make sure that you have put in the ground work to help the days go smoothly, the nights pass by peacefully and try to limit the number of inevitable disagreements!
After years of travel, many of which have been with kids, I am very realistic about how imperfect travel is, how many stress factors there are and how discomfort and disagreement is a certainty. The question is, is it worth it?
For many, I know that they say no! I have friends who say absolutely not and I get it, travel is not for everyone, for various reasons, be it financial or just preference, but for my family we are fortunate enough to be able to travel and we just love it, but that does not mean that it is not hard, tiring and often incredibly frustrating!
After years of travel with my children and as someone who travelled a lot as a child myself, I have found that certain things are important to me when we travel as a family and some things are also super helpful in order to try to make the experience that bit easier and simpler.
A number of these factors actually come down to the items that we choose to take with us.
How do we best tackle travel now days to try to make it as enjoyable as possible and try our best to eliminate as many of those unwelcome but somewhat inevitable stress factors that put us off of travel with young children..
I think that the main factor is mindset, make sure that you are being realistic as to what you're taking on. What you are asking of yourself and what you are asking of your children and your partner and all of your travel companions. No day is perfect so don’t expect your days away to be so, you have removed pretty much all aspects of routine and creature comforts (dependant on where you have traveled to) and everyone is in new territory. Make accommodations for some frustrations, over excitement, later nights, earlier mornings. Try to go with it and not to beat yourself up when things don’t look or feel as they normally would.
So with your mindset readjusted, where do we go from there..
Packing and planning, some (often husbands!) might underestimate the importance of the packing and planning. Making sure we take the right stuff, not too much of it, but not too little. The things that will make for a comfortable and manageable time away. Especially when travelling with kids, we have to be prepared. Not over prepared, but prepared.
When packing for a trip with my kids I will try to factor in comfort, quality, convenience and quantity.
I want my kids to be comfortable, I want them to be able to look after themselves as much as possible so I don’t need to be asked 17 times a day to help with shoes or jackets or finding tiny bits of things and I want them to be able to know what they are needing when they need it, so not 3 different jackets, 5 different pairs of shoes and 35 swimmers!
A common thread with the items that I choose to buy is quality, I would always choose to buy less and spend a bit more. I do not buy luxury, I can’t afford to nor do I want to, but I do spend a bit more in order to invest in an item that will be passed down from my daughter to my son and often to my god children too.
So you will find with my suggestions, that they are respected brands that have survived the test of time and quality control by not just myself but many loyal and happy customers.
I have found that a really great idea when you are looking to invest in pieces that might be a little out of your normal price range is to wait for the sales, I buy a lot of my kids key pieces in end of year sales or mid season sales.
Also VINTED is a really great place to pick up a great value, preloved (or often brand new) item for your kids. I have got Patagonia jackets, Blundestones boots, KEEN & salt water sandals and Osprey bags, all great value on VINTED.
PATAGONIA
Whether it be first thing in the morning or last things at night. Our Patagonia fleeces were perfect items to keep the kids warm. Worn by themselves or layered under a jacket, no other thick jumpers were needed.
When I was planning what I needed to pack for our recent trip to Australia, 6 weeks travelling between the Great Ocean Road, Sydney, Lord Howe Island, Byron Bay and more, I had to take into account a number of factors like the weather but mainly luggage size as we would need to be able to carry our luggage and also the small plane to Lord Howe had very limited luggage allowance.
This meant that streamlining our packing was essential, this works well when packing for kids. Many might disagree, we inevitable pack everything and the kitchen sink when packing for our kids for that ‘just in case’ moment, but it just makes life harder and more frustrating for mainly the packer (probably mum right!)
Keep it simple, choose 1 good quality item for all likely scenarios and stick to it (maybe 2 at a push), this will allow for smaller bags, less options, less washing and less time spent packing and unpacking.
So start with a good bag. Good quality, comfortable to carry and not too big. We choose OSPREY. The kids have their own 14l backpacks, super easy to carry, very comfortable, a good size for them and easily fits their bits and pieces. We then had 1 hand luggage 55l Osprey ourselves & 2 65l backpacks. I would highly recommend OSPREY, we could even have done with less luggage, so it can be done! We packed our items into packing pods and packed them all into the backpacks. Easy to take out and pack away at each stop and allowed for everyone’s clothes to be kept separate and easily located.
The only thing that is worse than being cold and wet when out and about is having kids with you that are cold and wet when out and about! It is a sure fire way to create a group of grumpy, whinging and uncomfortable people. At all costs try to make sure that you are prepared for the possibility of cold and wet weather. That can sometimes lead to the packing of a ton of layers and options for the ‘just in case’ moment, but it doesn’t have to.
I have found that investing in a good quality jacket and waterproof and appropriate footwear means that you can still keep the packing limited whilst being sure to have all that you need.
The thin Patagonia hoodless jackets are great as they pack up small and they keep the kids super warm, we have the same as adults and if it gets chilly then they put their fleece underneath and if it rains they put their thin fully waterproof layer over top. These 3 layers have then covered for all eventualities and they pack up small.
We get our waterproofs from FAIRECHILD, a Canadian company that I came across years ago. Beautiful jackets that are so well made, pack up super small and have lasted for years. They have been passed down and around and still look great. I have even resold old items that were worn when the kids were little.
“100% waterproof. Free of all chemicals. Endlessly reusable. Transparent manufacturing. Made in Canada.” FAIRECHILD
For footwear we have chosen KEEN year after year, they are so well suited to our outdoor lifestyle. They are really durable and can be worn with a pair of socks if it gets a bit chilly.
We also travelled in Blundestones, hard wearing and really comfortable. In Australia, these boots are less fashion and more workman so they are much more reasonably priced out there. That having been said, if you want to get hold of some over in Europe for a good price, check out VINTED as there is a great selection and we have sold and bought from there. Sometimes used shoes are actually better for kids as they are softer and more comfortable for the kids feet. Just be selective and look out for a good quality pair.
Taking the kids out hiking, best be sure to make sure that their feet are comfortable or you are in for a whole day worth of whinging! And worse still days afterwards of discomfort if they get blisters and rubs..
Being that we were travelling to Australia, my biggest focus was actually swimwear and sun protection. This is a big must, particularly in Australia where the UV rays are so strong and damaging and as a family that intended to spend the majority of the time in or near the sea, it was essential to me that the kids were well protected and comfortable whilst out in the water.
For me it was a no brainer, I have been a fan of TOASTIE KIDS wear for years, ever since their introduction of the pack away puffers years ago which I bought my now 8 year old when she was 1!
TOASTIE KIDS tag line is “LET THEM EXPLORE”, it sums up just how I feel about my kids place in the world. Whilst encouraging play and exploration, they are also advocating for other really important factors like environmental accountability, creating comfortable and stylish swimwear whilst also making sure their products are high quality and keeping our kids safe.
“Butter soft, sustainable sun protection for a summer of outdoors play. Proudly carbon neutral, our new kids UV swimwear keeps little ones safe with U.V SPF 50 and eye catching colours so that they’re easily spotted while wandering and exploring.” TOASTIE KIDS
We took with us, our TOASTE rash vests, swim shorts and swimsuit, as they are such good quality, we didn’t need to take other swimmers. I could trust that these would do the job without rubbing or sagging. The rash vests can also be worn out and about as tops and protection from the afternoon sun if the kids are playing on the beach, by the pool or in the park/outdoors.
The bright colours and fun patterns invited so many compliments from admiring kids and adults alike and made it super easy for me to keep an eye on the kids while we were on the beach, they didn’t bland into the horizon and I could spot them in the water in a split second.
We also really loved their newly released microfibre towels, they made for the perfect space conscious companion. Packing up really small, the kids keep hold of them themselves and it allowed them to keep cool or dry off straight away once they were out of the sea. They also made for great little mats to play on and eat picnics off. Super fun patterns and really light weight
I knew from my own experience as a child in Australia that a good hat was absolutely essential, I don’t mean just a cap to keep the sun out of your eyes but a good quality, waterproof sun hat, with neck protection that can be securely worn in the water so that when the kids are playing in the surf for hour after hour, they won’t loose their hats in seconds. I did some research and came across a brand called CORD & ROY Australian designed surf hats that looked to offer me exactly what I was looking for.
Over the 6 weeks in Australia, our Cord & Roy cap and surf hats served us perfectly. They stayed on the kids heads, kept us all cool and shaded and although they were worn day in day out, have hardly worn out at all. But most importantly they allowed the kids to enjoy all those brilliant moments in the surf and in the sea, protected and comfortable without us having to whip them out of the water as they had started to burn and without the kids waking up uncomfortable as their faces and necks had caught too much sun (an all too familiar feeling from my childhood spent in Australia back when we were a little less wise to the strength of the sun’s UV rays.)
A big thumbs up from Wilfred!
In addition to some key pieces that I have written about above, we really valued some great little travel companions:
BUFF neck warmers/headbands, ideal incase it gets chilly and act as great little pillow covers for the airplane cushions.
Kids PETZL head torches, fun for the kids. Great reading aids and obviously helpful when camping.
Sunglasses, we love our IZIPIZI sunglasses. Light weight, flexible and super fun colours.
YOTO radio. A great way to keep the kids entertained without always resorting to a screen (not that there is anything wrong with the screen from time to time!) Also a good aid for jet lag as you can programme the clock straight away so they know the time as and when they might wake in the night.
So, it might sound a lot, it might sound complicated and convoluted and like a real pain in the bum and maybe to many it is. Well to be honest it is to me too, but it’s whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, is it worth it?
Do you get enough joy and benefit from the result of travelling? Do you look back on these adventures and remember fondly the moments of stress and strain and know that they were just fleeting moments and that the overall take away is one of gratitude and happiness?
Is the 5 hour delay on the tarmac with tired kids worth it if you are on your way to a new and exciting place? Is the cancelled flight and early wake up worth it just to meet the new people and swim in those stunning seas?
For me, there is no question, 100% yes. I suffer those stresses and strains for sure, I feel like pulling my hair out and punching my partner and chucking my kids overboard for sure, but I also shed a tear of joy when I say farewell to a beautiful place that I am saying goodbye to after an epic journey to get there and I sit on a beach as the sun goes down and watch my family search for clams and know that this moment in time is as good as it gets and I love it!
So my answer is yes, for me it is 100% worth it. But that’s just me….
My favourite travel companions